Remarkable Decisions Of The Court Of Session [and] The Decisions..

1728. Decisions of the Lords of Council and Session 1720. Decisions of the Lords of Council and Session 1720. First Edition of Lord Kames's First Publication [Kames, Henry Home, Lord (1696-1782)]. Remarkable Decisions Of The Court Of Session, From 1716, to 1728. Edinburgh: Printed by Mr. Tho. Ruddiman, 1728. iv, 287, [1], xx pp. [Bound After] Bruce, Alexander [d. 1729], Reporter. The Decisions Of The Lords Of Council And Session, In Most Cases of Importance, For the Months of November and December 1714, And January, February, June and July, 1715. With an Alphabetical Abridgment, And the Acts of Sederunt Made in that Time. Edinburgh: Printed by John Moncur for James M'Euen, 1720. vi [i.e. iv], 178, 14 pp. Folio (11-1/2" x 7"). Contemporary speckled calf, raised bands, lettering piece and gilt ornaments to spine, free endpapers lacking. Some rubbing to extremities, joints starting at ends, light toning to text. Early owner signature to front free endpaper, interior otherwise clean. An appealing copy. $1,000. * First edition. This was Kames's first publication and an auspicious beginning to a long and successful publishing career. Admitted to the Scottish Bar in 1724, Kames was initially "not very successful. In 1728, however, he published his 'Remarkable Decisions ...,' a carefully executed work, which drew attention to (his) abilities. From this time his progress was assured" (DNB). Some copies were issued with a 6-page preface; this one was not, nor were two other copies we have handled; the copy in the British Library and the entry in the NUC also omit the preface. Whether this represents the "normal issue" is undetermined, but by no means is it uncommon. Dictionary of National Biography IX:1126. Sweet & Maxwell, A Legal Bibliography of the British Commonwealth 5:57 (listing Kames's continuation of these reports to 1752). Wallace, The Reporters 553.